Govt's silence ominous

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Syed senses a "very bad omen", as the government has not yet complied with his request for army deployment in the Union Parishad elections.

"I requested for army deployment even before the elections start. It's now only 10 days to go, but the government has done nothing. The signal is ominous," he told filed-level election officials yesterday, who have been attending a five-day training at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city.

Coming from various cadres of the civil service, the officials contested the government's claim that the existing law and order is suitable for peaceful polls. Officials from Sylhet and Barisal divisions attended the training yesterday, the third day of the five-day course.Election officials from Khulna and Rajshahi also held the view that peaceful polls were not possible and suggested army deployment for safety of the voters as well as the election officials.

However, the government rules out any possibility of military deployment, terming the situation 'normal'.

In yesterday's meeting, the election officials showed full support when some of their fellow colleagues once again demanded army deployment and protested claims by some high officials that law and order is now conducive to holding polls.

The CEC also shared their views and said without army, security of 75 million voters and the election officials might not be ensured, which may vitiate the atmosphere.

Referring to press reports indicating a breakdown in law and order in many areas following the army pullout, Syed said, "It is a matter of concern that the situation is getting worse."

"In this context, it is necessary to deploy army along with other law enforcing agencies during the polls to ensure fair polls as in the last parliamentary elections," the CEC said.

More than two weeks ago, the EC at a meeting decided to deploy army during and before the polls and accordingly wrote to the government.

But the government questioned whether the EC has the authority to decide on troops deployment and a tug of war developed between the government and the EC. As of yesterday, the government did not officially communicated with the EC on the issue.

"Give us proper protection, we will give you a transparent election," Shajahan Kabir, returning officer of Sylhet Sadar, told the election commission. "If something goes wrong, the lower-level officials are always blamed."

Tajul Islam Prodhan, UNO of Habiganj, observed that the situation has deteriorated after the army pullout. "Why was the army pulled out immediately before the elections? We must know the circumstances."

Other election officials clapped, as Prodhan said criminals were in hiding as long as the army was in operation. He observed that the army should be deployed in the streets, if not in the election centers.

As the Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet, Abul Hossain, took the floor and said the situation was conducive to holding peaceful polls and army deployment was unnecessary, other officials vehemently protested him.